title: Maternal serum creatine kinase as a biochemical marker of tubal pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the role of serum creatine kinase as a possible marker for diagnosis of tubal pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five groups of patients were included in this prospective study: group A, 20 patients with tubal pregnancies; group B, 20 patients with missed abortions; group C, 20 patients with pelvic inflammatory disease; group D, 10 patients with acute appendicitis; group E (controls), 20 patients with normal pregnancies matched for age and gestation. Total creatine kinase levels were measured in the serum of all five groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Creatine kinase levels were found to be > or =75 IU/l in all patients with tubal pregnancies, which was significantly higher than in the other four groups (P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results indicate that maternal serum creatine kinase can be an important biochemical marker in suspected tubal pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Lady Hardinge Medical College and Smt. S.K. Hospital, New Delhi, India.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chandra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
mesh_terms: D000030:Abortion, Missed / Q000201:enzymology; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000201:enzymology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D000292:Pelvic Inflammatory Disease / Q000201:enzymology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011274:Pregnancy, Tubal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D003402:Creatine Kinase